Thomas almond



iinited gaat@ anni @itin-1e.

Letters Patent No. 103,822, dated June 7, 1870.

SKATE FASTENING.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part: of the same To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS ALMOND, of Fitchburg, in the county ot' lorcester and State of'- Massachusetts, have invented a new and improved Skate Fastening; and I do hereby declare that thc following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled iu the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompan'ying drawing forming part of this specification.

Figure l represents a side view of my improved skate fastening.

Figure 2 is a plan or top view oi' the saine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new device for clamping skates to the soles or heels of boots orshoes. The invention consists in the use of adjustable toe-clamps, and of a heel jaw, all pivoted directly t0 the skate runner, so that the latter can be secured to the boot or shoe without the use of straps or projecting levers.

My improved fastening is exceedingly simple and reliable, and can be adjusted to boots of suitable size.`

The skates can be pnt ou without difficulty, andstill incre readily detached.

A, in the drawing, represents the skate runner, to which my improved fastening is applied.

The front fastening consists of two jaws, B B, which are screwed into opposite ends ot' a plate or holder, E, that is, by a pin, a, pivoted to thel front part ot' the runner.

The Shanks ot' the jaws B can be screwed i nto the. plates C, so as to stand more or less farapartI to tit wider or narrower soles.

Their screw shanks are flattened on one side, so that they can be locked atan angle to the plate C by means of springs, b b, as shown.

The nuts, d, which are formed on the plate C, for the reception of the screw shanks, are inclined backward, that isto say, their outer ends project backward, as shown in fig. 2. Besides this, their inner ends are somewhat lower than the outer.

The jaws are thereby held at such an angle that, as they are swung down, they will be contracted against the sole to take a iirm hold. The downward slant of the nuts (l provide, however, that the jaws are most contracted, ijrst, before they are brought in line with the plate C. Thereby the tendency to tighten them is produced, when the runner is drawn from the foot, and spontaneous removal of the runner is thus prevented.

To the rear part of the runner is pivoted a plate, D, with backward projecting teeth, c, at its upper end. The-'skate is applied by swinging the plates C and D up above the edge of the runner, as indicated in dotted lines in iig. l.

The jaws'B are then adjusted apart, to tit against the edges of the sole, and are thus applied to the sole, while the teeth c are put against the front of the heel. Then the plates C and D are swung down upon the top edge ot' the runner. As, by this motion, the angles, both of the plates C and A and of the jaws B or C, are caused to cease, while, in rear only, the plate D alone is swung down, the jaws B will be moved further from the teeth cthan they were before, and the said teeth will, consequently, be driven into the heel, thus firmly fastening the skate to the boot or shoe. At the same time, the jaws will be contracted, while being swung down, and will bite irmly against the edge of the sole, to lock the front end orn the runner.

When the skate is applied, as in fig. 1, the front ends of the plates C D rest on the runner. By pulling the front end of the runner down, or by Striking against the back end of the same, in case it projects beyond the pivot j' oi' the plate I), the skate is de: tached, as, by either process, the pivoted ends of the jaws will be carried down to spread them.

' The springs b serve to lock the jaws in proper po- 'sition for application.

The jaws B, instead of being screwed into nuts d, may have the nuts formed ou them, and be screwed to xed pins 0n C with equal effect, or they may otherwise be fastened tov equivalent inclined devices on plate C.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A plate C G, transversely pivoted or otherwise secured to the runner, having the jaw-sockets l c, arranged at an oblique angle to the ruimer, so that the jaws will be caused to close on the boot by the obliquity of their sockets, as set forth.

2. The jaws B, screwed into a pivoted plate C, to be adjustable, substantially as herein shown and described.-

3. The heel-plate D D, embracing the runner A, and transversely pivoted thereto, having 'the serrated plate c c in front thereof, and constructed as set forth, to afford a heel-seat where the pressure of the weight and the backward movement ot' the runner will both tend to hold it iirmly in posit-ion.

4. The spring b, arranged on the pivoted plate C, to hold the jaws Bat al1-angle to said plate, as set forth.

THOMAS ALMOND.

Witnesses:

l. E. M an'rrx, ALEX. F. Renners. 

